Ex-Chinese Soccer Star Sentenced to 20 Years for Corruption

• Dec 13, 2024

Li Tie, a former Chinese soccer star and national team coach, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for corruption. Li, 47, played for the English Premier League’s Everton in the early 2000s, making him one of China’s most prominent soccer figures. His conviction is part of a broader crackdown on corruption in Chinese professional soccer.

The court in Wuhan found Li guilty of accepting over 50 million yuan ($6.8 million) in bribes between 2019 and 2021 while serving as head coach of China’s national team. Prosecutors revealed that Li used his position to select certain players for the national team and helped specific clubs win matches in exchange for money. Additionally, Li and the club he coached before becoming head coach paid bribes totaling 3 million yuan ($412,800) to secure his appointment.

Li’s misconduct extended beyond his national team tenure. Between 2015 and 2019, he reportedly fixed matches for two clubs he managed in Chinese leagues. His actions epitomize the corruption and poor governance that have plagued Chinese soccer, undermining leader Xi Jinping’s ambition to make China a global soccer powerhouse.

In 2022, following the national team’s failure to progress in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, China’s anti-corruption agency launched a sweeping investigation into the sport. Li was the first high-profile figure arrested, followed by Chen Xuyuan, former head of China’s official soccer association, who received a life sentence earlier this year.

Ahead of his trial, Li appeared in a state-run documentary expressing regret for his actions. He admitted to taking bribes and fixing matches, saying he sought quick success for his teams. "Achieving success through such improper means actually made me increasingly shortsighted and eager for quick results," Li confessed.

Li’s fall from grace has shocked fans. Once regarded as one of the best Chinese players of his generation, Li made history in 2002 as one of the first Chinese players in the English Premier League. That same year, he represented China in its only FIFA World Cup appearance.

After injuries cut his overseas career short, Li returned to China in 2008 and later transitioned into coaching. When he became head coach of the national team in 2020, fans hoped he would lead the team to new heights. However, his tenure ended in 2022 after the team’s poor performance, paving the way for his legal troubles.

Li’s case highlights the deep-rooted issues in Chinese soccer, where corruption has overshadowed the sport's potential to inspire and unite a nation.